1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to promotional data delivery systems and methods and particularly to a system and method whereby a host, consumers and promoters are in communication for the purposes of distributing promotional data to targeted consumers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Promotional material delivery systems generally and, coupon distribution systems in particular, are a common part of the American consumer field. Whether broadcast delivery via newspaper inserts or weekly mailers or targeted delivery via point-of-sale printing based on a last purchased item or via electronic coupons based on a last contacted website or e-commerce purchase, the field has yet to efficiently relate manufacturing and retailing promoters with desirous and receptive prospective customers in a dynamic and secure fashion.
Generally, manufacturers and retailers issue coupons to increase sales, reduce inventory and enhance brand loyalty. While coupons are delivered to consumers through a variety of media, the majority of coupons are distributed via pull-out sections in newspapers, which are also known as free-standing inserts. Although it is the most common means of coupon delivery, of those coupons distributed via free-standing inserts, only a very small percentage (2%) are redeemed. Other methods of distribution that often experience redemption rates higher than free-standing inserts include in-store shelf coupon dispensers, check-out or point-of-sale coupons, register receipt coupons, in-product coupons, instant peel-off on-product coupons and direct mail coupons.
Manufacturers and retailers expend significant resources on a cost-per-redeemed-coupon basis using existing systems. Participative consumers spend significant time in coupon management and usage. There remains a need for a system and method of promotional data delivery that concurrently allows manufacturers and retailers to target consumers that are likely to be desirous of the promotional material and likely to use the material when received, to reduce the consumer time wasted in repeated hunting, selecting, sorting, and gleaning of coupons as they manage and apply their coupon portfolio, and to require minimal changes in retailers' business practice to implement.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,907,830 to Engel et al. discloses an electronic coupon distribution system providing on-line coupon information for a potential consumer, using a personal computer connected to a host computer, thereby to search and select available coupons and download and securely print the selected coupons with a printer connected to the potential consumer's personal computer. An alternative embodiment has the host computer recording information obtained from the potential consumer for marketing purposes. Engle further discloses the system may automatically direct coupons satisfying the potential consumer's preferences to the consumer when the coupons become available. The invention discloses that by using information provided by the potential consumer and the requests consumers make for coupons, a mailing list may be compiled.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,145 to Narasimhan, et al. discloses a system for accessing and displaying promotional information and for generating redeemable coupons based on at least one of the accessed promoting stores' promotional information records, each of which includes an electronic coupon offer and information in connection with a product or service a merchant offers. The system also stores a customer profile for a system user that includes user preference information. The stored records are presented according to a hierarchical menu structure. The user navigates menus to select promotional information records for presentation. The user electronically clips the coupon offer of the presented record and the electronic clipped coupon is stored. At the merchant, the electronic clipped coupon is accessed and reviewed, and a paper coupon corresponding to the electronic clipped coupon is selectively generated for redemption by the merchant.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,321,208 to Barnett, et al. discloses a method and system similar to Engel with coupons selected in bulk for downloading by the user's personal computer and printing from the downloaded file selected coupons on a printer connected to the user's personal computer. An online service provider conceptually takes the place of Engel's host computer.
While the prior art summarized above attempts to provide efficient coupon delivery systems and methods in their own right, they do not permit the detailed consumer targeting of the coupon-using consumer by the manufacturers and retailers, and do not exploit the customer friendly secure means of coupon delivery via mail and other parcel delivery services.
An object of the present invention is the relating of promoters'promotion data with consumer data and thereby providing promotional data to customers likely to act on the received promotional data via secure and customerfriendly means such as postal delivery. An additional object of the present invention is to allow a participating manufacturer to select criteria in detail sufficient enough to support the screening of the types of prospective customers it wishes to receive its coupons or other promotional material. An additional object of the present invention is to track successive coupon distributions to minimize the targeted prospective customers receipt of duplicate coupons. An additional object of the present invention is that while the prospective customer has active roles in entering demographic data and selecting coupons, the customer will be sent coupons resulting from relational processing by the host computer of the manufacturers' and retailer's inputs with those of the receiving customer.